# If Hillary wins, will she be addressed as "Mrs President" or "Ms President?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608 "2008-01-07T18:01:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/21 "2008-01-07T20:21:11Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] I’ve never heard anybody directly address an ex-president as anything but “Mr. President.” [/QUOTE] I’ve never seen a purple cow, either. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/22 "2008-01-07T21:13:11Z")
The United States does not have a council of official titleship (like the Uk seems to have). Common usage and common courtesy prevails. Former President Bush, Clinton and Carter regularly travel the world and are always referred to in the press as former presidents. I don’t know what Valdimer Putin would say on the subject, but suspect that he isn’t even aware that Clinton was a former governor. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/23 "2008-01-07T21:36:49Z")
[QUOTE=Great Dave] I’ve never seen a purple cow, either. [/QUOTE] You’re not missing much. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/24 "2008-01-07T22:00:40Z")
Madam President is the correct one, not Madame. The latter is French for Mrs. and, also, in English, should be used to refer to an older woman who is not either American or British. Yes “Madam” also refers to the woman in charge of a house of prostitution. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/25 "2008-01-07T22:06:12Z")
[QUOTE=PaulParkhead] Would Bill be the First Lady? [/QUOTE] Bill has been quoted as saying he’d prefer to be known as the ‘First Laddie’. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/26 "2008-01-07T22:35:17Z")
[QUOTE=postcards] Bill has been quoted as saying he’d prefer to be known as the ‘First Laddie’. [/QUOTE] That’s Hillaryous! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/27 "2008-01-07T22:45:22Z")
Just call her Bubba. It worked for Bill. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/28 "2008-01-07T22:47:09Z")
The spouse of Louisiana’s Governor Kathleen Blanco has the title of First Gentleman. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/29 "2008-01-07T23:29:55Z")
Yeah. I was just thinking “First Gentleman” would be the proper corollary to “First Lady”. It’s that or “First Lord”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/30 "2008-01-08T00:50:14Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] Mr. Chairman has been used for decades. I prefer Mr/Madame Chair. [/QUOTE] Slight off-topic hijack to make a minor but significant linguistic-and-parliamentary point: The _Chairman_ is the person elected to be the temporary or permanent presiding officer of an organization. A woman is properly referenced as “Chairman” because the term is properly common gender, but far more often referred to as “Chairwoman” or “Chairlady.” On the other hand, the _Chair_ is the person presiding over the meeting at the moment. If the Chairman is away, or wishes to speak before the meeting as a member, it may be the Vice-Chairman who is acting as Chair, or it may be Ol’ Bob who is always willing to step in and help out, while the Chairman himself is doing whatever it is he needs to do. Comparative: “Chairman” is like Vice-President = President of the Senate. “Chair” is whatever Senator the V.P. has tapped to sit in the chair while Sen. Phogbound regales the two senators present with tales of his youth, the exciting contents of the front matter of the Springfield phone book, his opinions on them durn furriners, or whatever has entered his mind to speak on. (Cf. Harry Truman’s letter to his mother while presiding while some idiot spoke at length on the Colorado River water treaty without the slightest knowledge of what he was talking about.) ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/31 "2008-01-08T11:26:57Z")
[QUOTE=Ignatz] That’s Hillaryous! [/QUOTE] I suppose we Chelsea what happens when it happens, eh? -1000 points to whoever makes the next pun on the basis of the family pet, whose name I can’t recall and am too lazy to look up. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/32 "2008-01-08T11:43:02Z")
I have no idea what the First Pet would be addressed as - and that just plain Socks ☹ sorry if that’s a bit 1997 ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/33 "2008-01-08T12:39:32Z")
Maybe you should make her Queen, given the _Checkers_ history of US presidents. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/34 "2008-01-08T12:49:04Z")
[QUOTE=lisacurl] The spouse of Louisiana’s Governor Kathleen Blanco has the title of First Gentleman. Just sayin’. [/QUOTE] That makes sense, of course, but it just isn’t so much fun… ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/35 "2008-01-08T14:19:52Z")
[QUOTE=Tapioca Dextrin] I have no idea what the First Pet would be addressed as - and that just plain Socks ☹ sorry if that’s a bit 1997 [/QUOTE] You, sir (or madam, of course) get -10,000 points because I’m feeling generous. \ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/36 "2008-01-08T14:47:42Z")
[QUOTE=Si Amigo] He would be called Former President Clinton, not govenor. Same as Bushes dad. [/QUOTE] I believe that he’s being called former president Clinton, not Former President Clinton. In other words, they are using the phrase to identify him, not as a title. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/37 "2008-01-08T15:51:54Z")
Up here, the governor’s husband is generally referred to as “First Dude”. I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/38 "2008-01-08T18:45:59Z")
[QUOTE=Ignatz] Yes “Madam” also refers to the woman in charge of a house of prostitution. [/QUOTE] Perfect! ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/39 "2008-01-08T19:41:47Z")
Technically “ **First Lady** ” isn’t even an official title at all. For example when Laura Bush is introduced at formal events like state dinners she’s “_Mrs George W. Bush_” or simply “_Mrs Bush_” not “the First Lady of the United States”. A former president (such as Bill Clinton) would be introduced as “_the Honorable Bill Clinton_”. Personally if I were introduced to Clinton I’d address him as Mr Clinton or Sir. I agree with Dr Drake that only someone actually serving as president is should be addressed as “Mr/Madam President”. ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608/40 "2008-01-08T21:29:10Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Drake] Well, Miss Manners (for what she’s worth as a source) agrees with me (from her Dec. 3, 2003 column in the _Washington Post_). [/QUOTE] Why would anyone think Miss Manners would be the authority on the correct protocol for addressing former government officials? Just because she knows which fork to use, doesn’t necessarily mean she’d have any clue about political salutations. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-hillary-wins-will-she-be-addressed-as-mrs-president-or-ms-president/432608.md?page=3)